Advertisement
Published: October 16th 2007
One thing is for sure about traveling; you can never fully describe or explain everything you see and experience. You can’t capture every photo you desire or recall every unique character you cross. I know I’ve said this many times before, but I was reminded of this once again as I traveled north through the southern most region of Thailand. I was trapped in the back of a speeding mini-bus, weaving through a jungle scenery that kept my eyes from blinking. I wanted so badly to yell, “Stop, I’ve gotta get this picture,” but I knew I couldn’t. I just sat there and soaked it all in. The Thai countryside is beautiful, especially after a good rain. The foliage glistens and the thick white clouds hover just at the top of the jungle canopy. Coconut palms stand in numbers and make for a beautiful outline against the evening sky. Mountains of vegetation-covered rock rise high above the sea of trees, having the appearance of giant teeth as they drop off sharply. As the sun set, I simply sat there and stared in awe at the perfect panoramic I wish I’d gotten, but smiled at the fact that I was there for
that moment. That is what goes through my mind oh, so often as I travel. I wish you were all here to share those moments.
Well, here I am on Phuket Island (and no Zac, the “h” is silent in Thai) with my feet buried in the sands of Patong beach, my goatee blowing in the wind and vendors approaching me every 30 seconds. I’d heard of this place from numerous backpackers who bragged on the island’s beautiful beaches, jungle scenery, top of the line tours and wild nightlife. Well, they were definitely on the mark with those claims. This place was all it was said to be and even brought a crowd in the low-season. I arrived just at the end of monsoon season, which can get really nasty, but I was blessed with two really nice days. Now, most of you have probably heard of Phuket and don’t realize it. It was in the news just recently when an airliner crashed on landing (due to bad weather) and killed over 80 people. Also, during the 2004 Tsunami (that hit Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand) Phuket was hit hard and suffered death and destruction. Since then, the
community has built itself back up to the major tourist destination it once was and is again jumping.
I followed the backpacker trail to Patong beach, which lies on the mid-west region of the island. Now, when following this trail, you usually end up in the biggest partying places of the country (b/c most backpackers are here to party above everything else). The scene wasn’t one I cared to mingle in, but it was a really neat and lively town. There were Thai fighting matches almost every night at the arena just a few steps from my hostel. The main drag (which my hostel was on) was closed off to vehicle traffic after dark and became an avenue of drunkenness. And the women, well, these Thai women are very attractive and extremely flirtatious. I haven’t been pursued by that many women in …well…ever! I was starting to feel like I’d gotten my groove back…but then I realized that most of them, if not all, were prostitutes (that’s not all Thai women, but just the ones that approached me). It was really very sad. These young girls were very attractive, but dressed trashy. They’d grown up in this atmosphere and
knew nothing else. I looked around and watched as older men and some young backpackers, who probally couldn’t find a date in their own country, paraded around with these little Thai girls on their arm, buying them whatever they wanted, in order to get what they wanted. It made me sick. Now, besides everyone around me being in the constant pursuit of intoxication and fornication, the island was great. Now, don’t let this deter you from visiting, because this was mainly the Patong beach area that drew this type crowd. There are many family oriented sections and secluded areas for those who just want to get away. As for me, I feel I need to follow the backpacker trail (most of the time at least) in order to meet people, learn of good places to visit, learn about the different cultures and possibly have a good impact on some - you never know.
I spent my first full day in Patong down on the beach. I went for periodic swims to soak the noggin and sat under an umbrella covered chair and read the remainder of the time. So far in my travels, I’ve read a few books (I
really enjoyed “Doors are for Walking Through” - Robyn Claydon and “Kawzoon,” but at this point in time I’m reading one of my favorites again. C.S. Lewis’ book
Mere Christianity is a book that really got me thinking years ago and is a book that I recommend you all read at least once; especially if your not a believer. It is a quick read and doesn’t throw religion in your face, but still gives a solid and powerful case for the Christian faith.
Due to the gnarly wound located on the side of my head, I’ve been unable to shower and shave my hair for a very long time (8 days). Even though I’ve been swimming in the ocean as much as possible, I could very well stink, but it hasn’t gotten bad enough to where I’ve noticed yet, so I carry on. As for my hair, well, I’ve got the old college look coming back into effect, but of course, minus a few key follicles and maybe a couple grey ones - yikes!
My second day in Phuket, I went on a full day excursion to see some of the outlying islands such as Ko (which means island in Thai) Phi Phi (pronounced Pee Pee), Phi Phi Don, Maya Bay, Monkey beach and Khai Nok. The weather turned out great, although, I’d gotten a little too much sun the previous day so I had to cover up. Right off the bat I met a couple of South African fellas (Mark and Costa) who lived in Cape Town. Mark was a big real estate guru, who was taking some vacation time to slow things down. We all three hung out the whole day and Mark told me of his plans to move to Miami in a few years. I now have a standing invitation to visit Cape Town and an inside connection for hotel discounts. South Africa can be a dangerous place to visit if you are traveling between cities by bus, but if you have a local friend and fly straight into Cape Town, then all is good. So, this could be an option - we’ll just have to wait and see.
As for the tour, well, it was amazing (I know I always say "it was amazing" or "great" or something boring like that, but how else can I describe it - someone e-mail me
some new adjectives please- I’m running out here). Our first stop was Maya Bay, which became famous from the movie “The Beach,” staring Leonardo DiCaprio . The whole area around Phuket has been used as a big movie set. Scenes from “The Beach” were shot in three different areas of Phuket and the James Bond film “The Man with the Golden Gun,” used two different areas for shooting. Our high-speed tour boat (carrying around 40 people) took us by most of these places.
The islands of Ko Phi Phi (with Phi Phi Don being the largest) were breathtaking (that’s even better than amazing). We did some snorkeling, visited Viking cave, Monkey beach (they actually jumped on the boat - so I gave one my banana), ate lunch on Phi Phi Don (delicious buffet) and finally ended the tour at the island of Khai Nok. This remote island was tiny, with only a couple of cabanas and hundreds of beach chairs with umbrellas lined all along its shores. We lounged and swam for an hour or so and then headed back to Phuket. It was a nice, relaxing day and I met two new friends. They were the first white
South Africans I’ve ever hung out with. I dig their language - Afrikan (which is a form of Dutch).
Back at my hotel (the Crown Hotel), I booked transport to Bangkok for the following day. The trip to the capital was a long and painful journey. I’d just taken a 13 hour mini-bus ride three days prior and now I was spending over 16 hours in an overnight bus - yippie! Despite being terribly tired, I survived the trip and found a cheap hostel so I could catch a few ZZZ’s. My new hostel (Prakorb’s House) is located on the world renowned Th Khao San Road. This street is a hub for backpackers from around the world. Shops, restaurants and bars line the road and one can find pretty much anything they need for travel. I obtained my visa for Cambodia with no problem and I’ll be getting my Laos and Nepal visas when I return. I’m shipping home some souvenirs I picked up along the way; just as soon as I return from Laos. I can leave my larger pack locked up in storage at my hostel for only 30 cents a day, so that will make my
traveling a lot easier. I even picked up some fake IDs from the shop next door to my place; no joke (actually I did it as a joke), for only $5 each, I got an international STA travel student card (for student discounts) and a Freelance Photo Journalist ID (so I can get into the Press only areas). This will allow me to take my traveblog to a whole new level. I can now report from places where no backpacker is allowed to go. But seriously, I thought it was going to be all fake-looking and simply keep it as a joke when I got home. Well, these aren’t a joke. For 10 dollars, I got two IDs that are very professionall done, with notary impressions and proper stamps. That’s pretty scary if you think about it. They made driver licenses, Press IDs, diplomas, University IDs, and more; dirt cheap, very accessible and that look real. Don’t worry mom, I won’t use them…well, unless there is some Breaking News story I can get a scoop on.
My three days in Bangkok, before heading off for Cambodia (on yet another 13 hr. bus ride), were good. I just so happened
to be here on the only week of the year that the wholesale Gem dealers open their doors to the public. What this meant was, I could get free motor cart transportation (tuk tuk) around town if I visited the different Gem dealer locations in Bangkok. So, I found a government run Taxi cart (yellow plates) and had him take me to a site-seeing spot, then to a Gem dealer, then to another site-seeing spot and so forth. The only reason the tuk tuk driver would do this and wait on me all day, was because the Gem dealers would fill up their taxis and take care of the driver while I shopped. Of course, I didn’t buy a single thing all day (three different gem dealers), but I sure acted like I was a big Gem enthusiast. The best part was, I got shouffered around to see most of the city and was able to see how gems are cut, polished and made into the final product. Thailand’s two main gems they export are sapphires and rubies, but even at wholesale price, they were way too expensive for me. What is really cool is that I couldn’t have gotten
into these special gem showings without the use of my International Press Identification…I’m kidding!
As for the rest of my time in Bangkok, I shopped around the markets and tried local foods. This place isn't as cheap as I'd heard (still pretty cheap though), but it's mainly due to the weakening value of the American dollar (it used to be 41baht = $1, but now it's 34 baht). There's a lot of entertainment and shopping that can be done on Khao San Road, but the vendors can really wear you out. It will be nice to get out of the big city again. I'm off for Cambodia tomorrow, but I'll be back in Bangkok soon (within the week). I will be using Bangkok as my hub for this section of my trip and will enter and exit Thailand three times (which is max. without applying for a visa). So, I will leave you with a few observations I've noticed along the way.
For starters; if feet are considered so low and disgusting in Thailand, then why are there Foot massage palors everywhere you turn? Plus, you have to take off your shoes when entering homes, temples, etc., so
wouldn't you want to leave your shoes on if feet are considered that disgusting? Can you imagen if the entire congregation at church took off their shoes? It would be rough to make it through a whole sermon (especially if Bobby attended your church). Hey, maybe that's why they keep burning all of that incense? Now, one thing I personally find disgusting is the whole bathroom/shower combos they have going on here in Asia. Almost everywhere I've stayed has a toliet with a shower head just beside of it. There's no divider, curtain, nada...it is all one unit with a drain in the center of the floor. You never want to use the toilet right after someone has showered because everything is covered with water (the TP is even damp), but you definitely don't want to take a shower after someone has taken...well, used the restroom...especially if that someone is your's truly. Now, at least Thailand normally has toliet paper in some of its bathrooms (hostels... not public restrooms), because in Malaysia no one even uses the stuff. There is simply a spiket with a hose attached to it, so you can rinse with water...yeah that's right, you use your
hand for...well, you can guess. That's why they consider shaking hands with the left an insult (you know what they use the left for...right), but as for me, I just avoided shaking hands all together - you never know if someone got a little mixed up in there. I simply greeted with a head nod from a distance in order to keep things safe. Alright, I'm going to wrap this thing up. Make sure and have a look at my final picture (on page 2) and see if you think I answered the question I posed in my last blog - Doctor or Bonehead...that is the question. have a good week and I'll talk to you all soon. By the way, I've been getting all of your e-mails (I just can't respond to them all) and I thank you for all the kind words and comments. You're all great friends.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.08s; Tpl: 0.021s; cc: 9; qc: 23; dbt: 0.0369s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
zac
non-member comment
Well, I'd have to say those are some of the most beautiful pictures/landscapes I've seen. I'm glad you're getting to see it all first hand; I feel priviledged just seeing the photos. Anyway, have fun with that sunburn (that's gotta suck) and be careful.